Western Sunsets NEW
by PomKat
Summary: A new version of the story I never finished. It was easy to tell where this girl's roots came from: even through all of the schooling, dancing and samisen lessons, she still managed to find the most enjoyment and peace in searching for flowers. Sess/Rin
1. Chapter 1

Alright, here is my new version of Western Sunsets. Let's just skip all the blabbering about why I didn't finish the other and where I've been and just get to the reading. ;] As always, comments and criticism blah blah blah.

* * *

She had forgotten how much she'd missed spring.

Walking through the damp trail, Rin gazed up into the cloud-streaked afternoon sky. She was glad that she had escaped from the hustle and bustle of the shiro; only the chirping of early birds and the croaks of tree frogs surrounded her here. As she passed, bullfrogs on the bank jumped into the murky pond and turtles ducked their heads under the dark waters. The ground was cold underneath her bare feet, but a breeze wrapped her body in warmth. The tepid air smelled of rain.

This spring marked her seventeenth year on earth and the eighth year in the care of her Lord Sesshoumaru. After many years of travel, countless battles with enemies, and thousands upon thousands of miles of walking, she and the rest of the rag-tag group that had faithfully followed Sesshoumaru had finally found their way back to the great Western Lands and the grand castle that overlooked over the sea. After the death of Naraku and the completion of the Shikon no Tama, life had fallen into a peaceful rhythm quickly there and everyone, including the once shunned, orphaned village girl, had found their perfect place within the shiro walls.

Presently, Rin was making her way to one part of the vast gardens that she was particularly fond of; a small area hidden under the drooping leaves of a willow tree. A koi pond was tucked away beneath the budding leaves of the willow and the goma seeds that were concealed within the folds of Rin's kimono were beckoning to them.

Sesshoumaru watched her through the window of his study. She walked so carefully that her footsteps were barely audible to his sensitive ears, only a crunch of a twig here and there. It still amazed him that despite the elaborate clothing he bought her over the years, she still chose to wear a simple cotton kimono and run barefooted around the grounds. Sesshoumaru snorted at the young girl's simplicity, but still couldn't take his gaze off of her. Under his watchful, golden eyes, she had somehow managed to grow into a beautiful young woman - for a human girl, that is. Her hair fell in an ebony waterfall down her back and curled into various-sized ringlets at the tips. Her body, while still shorter than most, had slimmed and molded into the curves of a woman. And her eyes, those eyes that always shone with such brilliance and danced gleefully whenever he came around, were the deepest of browns. Her face was dotted with freckles from years under the sun, but her other small facial features were flawless.

The Lord of the Western Lands watched as the girl plucked a hardy pink hydrangea from a bush just to her left and then slip between the tendrils of an old willow tree.

It was easy to tell where this girl's roots came from: even through all of the schooling, dancing and samisen lessons, she still managed to find the most enjoyment and peace in searching for flowers within the massive gardens. She was a hopeless mess.

Sesshoumaru turned back to the parchment that was sprawled across the low table in front of him. It was a carefully drawn-out map of the land that was so rightfully his. Currently, his finger rested near the southern-most border on the town named Jikan. Just a few days before, the town had suffered a devastating invasion from a small division of the Southern Army. Though no word was sent to confirm his suspicions, Sesshoumaru knew this attack was a direct message from Lord Shoichi of the Southern Lands. A message that promised war.

Irritated, Sesshoumaru rose from his place behind the table and the little imp that had previously been dosing off in the corner snapped to his side, nearly thumping himself in the head with his own Nintoujou. "Shall I call for lunch, my lord?" Jaken questioned quickly as his master headed into the hallway.

"That will not be necessary," Sesshoumaru said, waving the small demon away with a quick whip of his striped wrist. Jaken instantly fell into a pout, but stopped with a bow to let his master pass.

_What kind of dirty, unhonorable, loathsome creature would wage war on another country by quietly attacking worthless little ningen villages? _Sesshoumaru thought to himself in annoyance. _Whatever happened to the honorable way of fighting?_ The taiyoukai scoffed. Shoichi was simply a lowly snow leopard demon anyways and one could never trust a sneaky, devious cat at any costs.

Sesshoumaru released himself from his musings to find himself taking the same path he had seen Rin tip-toe down only minutes ago. The taiyoukai stopped abruptly and let the gentle, spring breeze caress his body. With the light flow of air came the unmistakably sweet scent of his young ward. Looking further down the path, Sesshoumaru caught sight of the willow tree.

He found her kneeling over the clear water of one of the estate's many koi ponds, her fingers resting just under the water's edge in such a stillness she seemed to be a beautiful statue. Upon his entrance into her shadowed sanctuary, Rin's dark, sparkling eyes flicked up meet his and she put one finger of her free hand over her rosebud lips, a single for him to stay silent. While she meant no harm by the simple gesture, any other person who resided within the shiro's boundaries would most likely pay dearly for the mistake of shushing their lord.

When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper, barely a noise escaping from that perfect mouth, "I'm trying to coax the koi to eat from my hand," she explained quietly as Sesshoumaru moved to take a seat on one of the stone benches that surrounded the pond. "I had them all but jumping out of the water last year," she continued, a smile dancing at her lips. "But it seems that they have forgotten me over winter." At this saddening fact, Rin's voice faded and her smile dropped, but she still continued to stare intently at the beautiful fish underneath the water's surface.

Both she and the taiyoukai watched as one rather brave koi slowly fluttered her way. It was a beautiful butterfly koi in a solid white, it's long, flowing fins living up to its namesake. It crept towards the girl's waiting fingers, eyeing the goma seeds eagerly, but still cautious of the whole situation. It lips puckered out further as it neared, but suddenly the creature was spooked by another fish's sudden wallow and nearly jumped away, splashing Rin in the process. The young girl pulled her hand from the water with a laugh, wiping her face with her dry sleeve as she sprinkled the seeds out onto the water. The koi hurriedly swam to the surface to feast now that they saw that the danger had left.

Rin sat back in the grass, placing her hands in her lap and moving her eyes from the playful koi to her Lord Sesshoumaru. Instantly, she saw the strain in his face.

"What ails you, my lord?" she asked sincerely, her head cocking to the side, awaiting his answer.

Sesshoumaru's golden gaze fell onto the girl as he pondered whether he should tell her about the current situation with the Southern Lands. Surely this unlearned girl could do nothing to aid him in his war troubles.

Sesshoumaru sighed uncharacteristically. "Troubles with other lands," he stated simply and Rin knew not to prod him any farther. If her lord wanted to explain his previous statement, he would do so of his own accord. The two fell into an easy silence, the only sounds coming from the wind swaying through the leafy cords of the willow tree and the occasional splash at the water's surface from the koi.

Rin took this time to steal a glance at Sesshoumaru. His narrow honey-colored eyes were focused on faraway subjects and they held a dull sheen because of it. The magenta stripes on his cheeks and the navy blue of the crescent moon on his forehead stood out against the pale completion of his face and the ivory of his hair. After their traveling had ceased, Sesshoumaru had no use for his spiked armor he wore and instead replaced in with a rather simple white kimono with the haori bearing his royal family's crest on the back in a deep red. And, over the years, Sesshoumaru's youkai body had replaced the arm that was so insolently taken from him so many years ago. While the new arm wasn't nearly as strong as the other, it still had the strength to end the lives of human and demon alike. He rubbed at it unconsciously now in gentle circles with his index finger and thumb, right over the bicep.

He felt her gaze on him, but didn't say anything. After all, he did the same whenever her attention was focused on something else long enough for him to catch a quick glance. She proved to be an interesting subject to him; there was something calming about her presence. Maybe it was the way she didn't pressure him to do anything or nag him with the current trouble of the day like so many other did. Or maybe it was the fact that she was simply there to give; give him peace, understanding, and just someone to be around.

Rin turned her eyes away from her master and laid back in the grass, picking up the pink hydrangea flower she had laid by her side earlier. She brought the flower to her face now, letting the small pedals tickle at her lips and chin as she sniffed the fragrant plant. Her hair flowed out around her in a pool of ebony and as the breeze picked up around them once more, Sesshoumaru caught her sweet scent once again.

Their peaceful encounter was cut short as Sesshoumaru picked up the sound of the loud, tip-tapping of claws against the gravel trail. In moments, Jaken's scratchy voice came pealing through the serene gardens, "Riiiiiiiiiin!" he called, his voice agitated. "Riiiiiiiiiin!'

The girl sat up and stuck the flower behind her ear, looking quite ridiculous considering it was nearly the size of her head. She folded her hands placidly back in her lap and waited for the imps imminent arrival. Sesshoumaru inwardly smiled at this. Despite every insult Jaken had thrown at her, every mean thing he had ever said and done to her, she was still the one person who could stand the old imp's annoying ways.

Jaken burst through the tendrils of the willow tree, sending a surprised bird fluttering into the air. His yellow eyes caught sight of the girl at once. "Rin! There you are, you stupid, insolent- Ah! My Lord Sesshoumaru!" Upon seeing his master, Jaken's squawking ceased and he dipped himself into a low bow, his nose grazing the grass. "I was just coming to get the girl for her shamisen lesson, my lord," the imp explained once he straightened. He threw the girl a nasty look through his squinted, yellow eyes and, in return, the girl stuck her tongue out at him. "I constantly have to remind the brat that you have graciously given her these opportunities at a better, more refined life and that she cannot just take them for granted as she so frequently does and-"

"Shut up, Jaken," Sesshoumaru said coolly, getting a muffled giggle from Rin in return. _The little imp always finds SOMETHING to complain about,_ the taiyoukai thought to himself as he rubbed at his temples. He rose from his place on the stone bench and parted the cords of the willow to step back out into the sunshine, not even pausing to look back at the two.

"Now look what you've done, you ningen brat! You've angered the great Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken exclaimed, slamming his Nintoujou on the soft ground. To his dismay and Rin's delight, the end of the staff sunk deep into the damp earth, lodging itself there tightly. With another quick giggle, Rin jumped to her feet and skirted around the struggling imp, thankful to be able to slip away from another horrible shamisen lesson.

* * *

Rin did not see Sesshoumaru again till dinner. She sat at the end of the long table in the grand dining room, picking through her food with her chopsticks when he came in and sat down at the opposing side. A lowly demon servant rushed forward quickly with the meal the cooks had so painstakingly put together for him and left with a hurried bow. Sesshoumaru scrutinized the food through narrowed golden eyes but didn't pick up his chopsticks to eat. Rin watched him carefully, wondering what could be the matter.

Sesshoumaru pondered over the news he had received only minutes earlier. Shoichi had attacked another village. This time, the village was larger than Jikan and the population had suffered immensely from the attack. While Sesshoumaru could care less about the human lives lost, it irked him to the very core that the lowly snow leopard would even consider stepping foot onto Western Lands. Shoichi was young and had just come into power, he was bold and inexperienced and made mistakes. _Several, grave mistakes, _Sesshoumaru mused to himself.

Annoyed for the second time that day, Sesshoumaru got to his feet abruptly, knocking the table with more force than he intended. Rin squeaked and jumped out of the way, narrowly missing getting the wind knocked out of her by the massive piece of furniture. She heard the scrambling of tiny feet as Jaken scurried out of the kitchen to chase after their master, yelling, "Great Lord of the Western Lands, what ails you? What can this lowly servant Jaken do to help?" The two disappeared into one of the corridors that broke away from the dining hall. Rin sighed and went back to picking through her food, sad that her alone time with her lord was once again disturbed.

Jaken had to sprint to keep up with his master's long strides, hopping up and down to better attract the taiyoukai's attention. "Jaken," Sesshoumaru stated, his voice booming through the hall and startling the little toad. "Get my armor. We're going to the border."

With a sudden squeak and a rushed bow, Jaken hurried away to do his master's bidding.


	2. Chapter 2

Just a random fact of the day: I like listening to '12 Girls Band' on Youtube when I write. They play traditional Japanese music on traditional Japanese instruments - a perfect way to get into the mood of writing a Japanese anime fan fiction. ;]

* * *

Chapter 2:

_She could hear their vicious, hungry growls just behind her. Their teeth snapped at her heels and their mouths salivated at the delicious smell of her blood. She grasped her left arm tightly within her other hand, trying to staunch the blood that flowed from the jagged wound on her bicep. Her feet pounded against the ground, cutting on loose rocks and dried twigs and her breath came in heavy pants. Though her mind knew the race was over, that the wolves were just chasing her for the thrill of the hunt, her body kept pushing her forward through the dense forest._

_She heard a quick, thundering bark and suddenly she was face down in the dirt, something heavy on her back. A sharp pain screamed at her leg and she let out a feeble cry. In just a few moments, everything was numb and she knew she was dying…_

Rin snapped awake with a sudden, jagged scream. She sat straight up on her mat, a cold sweat running down her forehead and back. She pulled the thin, silk cover up to her chin, her fingers trembling, reminding herself over and over in her head that it was all just a dream… _a horrible, horrible dream_…

But it wasn't a dream! What she just woke up from was a memory. A sick, everlasting memory from the afternoon that she died, just over eight years ago. Shaken, Rin moved out of her bed and towards the door. As she walked down the dark corridor, the fingers of her right hand unconsciously moved up the sleeve of her yukata kimono to run over the embossed scar that ran across her arm, just above her small bicep. It was in a slightly crescent shape with several small tears running up towards her shoulder - a bite mark from one of those filthy wolves. Another scar, in the exact same shape and nearly the same size, marred her right calf. There were other scars that tarnished her body, huge, jagged pink scars, that were hidden under the concealing folds of her kimono, that had also come from that terrifying afternoon.

Rin stepped out into the cool night air. She moved forward towards the edge of the towering cliff that the shiro sat on and stood there, listening as the waves crashed gently along the shoreline. The moon was no where to be seen that night, but the stars happily stood in its place, twinkling and sparkling brightly in the navy blue sky.

"Rin," the voice came so suddenly that the young woman whipped around in surprise, nearly loosing her footing along the steep cliff. A pale, striped hand shot out, grabbing her forearm to steady her as her dark eyes adjusted to see who the intruder was.

Sesshoumaru stood before her in an ebony kimono, the ancient crest of his family stamped in bright red on the right side of the haori, just above his heart. He had his bone armor on and his snow white hair was tied into a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. The Toukijin and Tenseiga were strapped faithfully at his side. "You… screamed," he stated softly as he released her arm, sure she was not in danger of slipping again.

Rin nodded her head dutifully, her eyes still studying his form. "I had a bad dream," she stated simply and at once Sesshoumaru knew what dream she was talking about. It was not abnormal for him to hear the girl wake in the middle of the night with a sudden gasp of air or a muffled cry - the memory of the night of her death plagued her often and he was used to finding her outside, letting the sounds of the waves lull her back into a dreamless rest.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin began, finally lifting her eyes to meet his after studying his form completely. "Where are you going?"

He let his eyes linger on her face for a moment before he spoke. "Recently, there have been attacks on villages on the Southern border," he said as he turned his gaze away from her to look down upon the sea. The reflection of the stars winked at him from the dark waters. "I have to put an end to it."

He looked up to see nearly the same scene in Rin's eyes; there was a sparkle in those dark pools of eyes she had and he instantly knew what she was thinking. "You will stay here," he said and immediately her face dropped. Before she could open her mouth to protest, he continued, "We will be leaving at dawn so we can make it to the border by nightfall. We may be gone a few days… " his voice trailed off as he pondered why he was telling all of this to his ward.

"_We_?" Rin echoed, her voice inquiring.

"Jaken, Ah-Un, and myself," he stated back.

_Everyone but me_, Rin thought to herself sadly.

Sesshoumaru turned to look at Rin, trying to gage her reaction, but she had already twisted back to face the sea. He could sense that she was hurt; after all, in the past eight years he had been with her, they had never been more than a day or so without seeing each other and one had never traveled without the other.

He remembered the first day he found her, or rather, when she found him and wouldn't leave him the hell alone. It was just after his humiliating battle with InuYasha, when he was still recovering from his vicious wounds, sitting under an old maple tree. She came to him with food and a warm heart, that silly girl. Even back then, her nature was to give and to help… _and to_ _love_ those who needed it, despite the fact that they may not have wanted it to begin with.

And then, on a silly whim, he had brought her back to life after the wolves had mauled her small, fragile human body. She was only supposed to be an experiment - a test to see if his father's seemingly useless sword was worth the fang he gave for it. And somehow, the rest became history. Yes, she may have died that afternoon to the snarling wolves, but she was also reborn into a world that offered her… so much more.

"You will slow us down," Sesshoumaru stated truthfully and he heard her subtle intake of breath.

She suddenly whirled towards him, sending her scent rushing up to meet his nose. Her dark eyes were pleading as she clasped her hands behind her back and stood to rock on her tip toes, successfully completing the pose she had used quite often as a child to get her way with Jaken. Sesshoumaru remembered watching her as she gently coaxed the little imp into submission with those big, doll eyes of hers and a small quiver of her bottom lip.

"Rin promises to not slow down her Lord Sesshoumaru," she said eagerly, even going as far to revert back to her childhood way of speaking to sway him. "Rin will be-"

But this Sesshoumaru would not be influenced in such a ridiculous manner. What he said went, no matter who the person was. Sesshoumaru held up his open palm suddenly to silence her. "This Sesshoumaru has made up his mind," he told her, turning on his heels, just slow enough to catch the look of disappointment wash over her face. He walked back towards the shiro, leaving her to listen to the sounds of the crashing waves alone.

* * *

Rin did not sleep the rest of that night. Instead, just before dawn, she sat up to peek out of her bedroom window, which overlooked the gardens and the large stable that sat just behind the shiro. There, she watched as Sesshoumaru led Ah-Un out of the large doors and out onto the dewy grass. Jaken followed quickly in their wake, hurriedly folding a large parchment of paper together to stick in his inner haori pocket - no doubt it was a map of the Western Lands.

She watched sadly as Sesshoumaru mounted Ah-Un. And just before they took to the skies, his golden eyes flicked up to her window and held her gaze for a moment before she ducked down back onto her bed, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment. Ah-Un's gentle moan filled the pink-tinted sky as they rushed away.

Morning turned to afternoon and Rin found herself idling about the household with nothing to do. Without Jaken's constant nagging, the two headed dragon Ah-Un to seek comfort in, or sharing a quiet moment with her master, she found she was utterly and completely bored in the shiro. At one point, she almost considered attending samisen lessons, but cringed away at the sound of her samisen teacher plucking away at the horrid instrument.

She wandered into the kitchen around noon to find the cooks shifting around lazily, glad their lord was off attending other matters. At the sight of her, they instantly jumped into action, asking her what delectable dish she would like for them to whip up for her. She merely waved them away, still not fully accustomed to such treatment from others. She gave them a sincere smile and reached for one of the Fuji apples that sat in a bowl under an open window

She wandered through the gardens, munching quietly on the apple as her eyes wandered the sky. While the rain had missed the Western Lands yesterday, it was sure to pour today.

_How did I get to be here?_ Rin wondered to herself, tracing her memories back to the first time she had lain eyes on her Sesshoumaru-sama. _Maybe_, she thought, she should thank the wolves for what they had done to her. For without their savage ways, she would have never been taken in by the powerful taiyoukai. If they had never killed her, she would never have gotten the chance to travel with him for all those years, stand faithfully by his side, and finally end up here in this grand shiro on top of the hill.

Rin shuddered instantly at the memory of the wolves and rubbed the scar on her left arm through the fabric of her kimono sleeve. No, she was not thankful to the wolves, because what they didn't to her was beyond any type of forgiveness.

In a sudden, uncharacteristic fit of rage, Rin threw what was left of her apple into the gardens. It landed in an unsuspecting hydrangea bush with a satisfying _snap_.

* * *

Sesshoumaru could smell the stench of blood and carnage before he could even see the village. A thin, gray cloud floated above the treetops, an obvious sign of the destruction Shoichi's army had caused. Sesshoumaru nudged Ah-Un to dip down into the treetops. They would walk the rest of the way to the village.

Though the attack occurred more than twelve hours ago, the human villagers were still at a loss of what to do. The dead still laid in the streets, small huts still burned and smoldered all around, and people were still crying out for the loved ones they knew where already lost. Sesshoumaru raised a lip in disgust. _What pitiful, lowly, insignificant creatures humans are,_ he thought to himself as he walked calmly through the village. Jaken stayed at his heels, his head held high and the Nintoujou positioned firmly in his grasp just in case one of the humans decided to get brave. Ah-Un's two heads merely roamed back in forth between the clueless villagers as he followed loyally behind his master.

At the sight of these new arrivals, a small human girl shrieked, pointing her finger in accusation at the demons that marched through her home village. Her face was bloodied and terror-stricken. An older human boy sprinted to her quickly and covered her mouth with his hand instantly, forcing her into a deep bow as he did the same. His eyes widened in acknowledgement even as they darted to the ground. "My Great Lord Sesshoumaru," he said in a low whisper, his voice trembling.

At his sudden display, the other villagers urgently dropped to their knees as well, whispering words of gratitude at his arrival. No one dared lifted an eye to look him directly in the face, save for a few idiot young children. Jaken let out a huff of a sarcastic laugh, stamping the Nintoujou on the ground. "What filthy, ignorant things humans are!" he exclaimed, not caring if the little things heard him at all, but more hoping to receive some kind of approval from his master.

Sesshoumaru ignored the old toad, but instead focused his energy on picking up the direction the army had taken only hours earlier. To his surprise, he caught no scent of youkai anywhere. The smell of human blood and sweat and tears hung in the air, thick as soup, and it clogged his senses. "Come, Jaken," he said sternly. "We must keep moving."

* * *

Nighttime fell upon the shiro almost too slowly. It seemed as though Rin had waited all day for the stars to return back to the sky; it meant that another day was coming to a close and that she was that much nearer to seeing her Lord again. The rain sprinkled down slowly from the sky, tapping Rin every once in a while on the top of her ebony head. Uncurling from the little ball she had formed herself into while listening to the croaking of the bullfrogs and the musical chirping of the crickets, Rin stretched her limbs and started making her way back to the dimly-lit shiro.

She had just stepped onto the wooden porch when the explosion sounded. The young girl fell sideways from the blast, her head knocking against the bamboo floorboards, bits and pieces of wood from the shiro breaking off to cut against her exposed skin. She tried to scream, but it seemed as though the sound couldn't escape from her throat. Her shaking hands struggled to reach her ears to try and block out the piercing ring that was sounding there. She whimpered softly and her instincts took hold of her quickly, forcing her to her feet and into a run.

The earth seemed to shake underneath her feet as another explosion blasted through the shiro. She was instantly thrown to the ground again against the cold gravel of the garden's trail. Mostly unharmed, Rin thrust herself to her feet again, her eyes darting around the garden, searching for someplace, anyplace, she could hide. Those dark eyes fell upon the comforting slope of the willow tree's branches and she all-but dove for it, reaching the shadowed enclosure just in time to shelter herself from another ear-splitting blast.

Scrambling on hands and knees, Rin moved to hide behind one of the stone benches - the same stone bench Sesshoumaru had graced only a day ago. She pulled her legs to her chest and bit into her kimono, hoping to muffle her ragged breathing from whatever dangers roamed the grounds. Above her, she could hear the rain as it began to fall from the sky more violently and land in huge drops on the small leaves of the willow tree. Despite the commotion building within the crumbling castle walls, Rin could still hear the heavy pounding of her heart. Raising her eyes to scan her hiding place, Rin felt her heart sinking when she found that someone else could hear it too…

She let out a shrill scream.


	3. Chapter 3

Hope you don't want to kill me after the cliff hanger. I had to do it to keep you coming back! :] Forgive any typos.

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Chapter 3:

It was easy to see what Shoichi had done.

After they had past the boundaries of the village - after hearing an immense amount of groveling and thankful praise from the bloodied, ash-strewn humans - Sesshoumaru had picked up the odor of the disgusting cat along with the scent of the army he was traveling with - an army of all humans no less. It seemed as though the cat had been trying to cover up his own stench with the stink of a hoard of ningens. Or maybe it was that Shoichi didn't have the influence to band together and command an army of youkai yet… maybe instead he had to rely on the ignorant devotion of humans. Sesshoumaru inwardly chuckled at the thought. _That was Shoichi's first mistake,_ he thought to himself.

The snow leopard's scent clung to the air, twisting through the trees and brush. It was slightly masked by the smell of the humans, but Sesshoumaru keen, inu nose was able to distinguish between the two easily. At first, Sesshoumaru was surprised to have picked up Shoichi's scent in the first place - no well trained, well-learned commander would go out with his army to complete such a meaningless task. Destroying a ningen village was no reason for a high-ranking army commander to grace the field. _That,_ Sesshoumaru mused, lifting his long nose in the air for another sniff, _was his second mistake._

They had just entered the thickets of the woods when Sesshoumaru caught the faint sound of something very small whistling through the air. In an easy sidestep motion, the taiyoukai moved out of the way as a small, wooden arrow flew through the air. Instead of hitting its intended target, the arrow flew past the small group and into the brush just behind them. Jaken squeaked, his reaction much slower that his Lord's, and threw himself onto the ground, shielding his large head with his small hands. "We're under attack!" he cried, clutching the Nintoujou tightly to his body. Sesshoumaru stared down at the toad in aversion - the imp was an utterly pitiful excuse for a demon - for just a moment before he looked up to trace the arrow's origins.

This time, Sesshoumaru heard the quick snap of the bow as another arrow was released. He reached up to swipe the worthless weapon out of the air to snap it in half. Before the pieces had even hit the ground, Sesshoumaru had launched himself high into the air, scanning the ground below him to see his hidden attacker from above. In nothing more than a split second, he had a ningen warrior between his fingers and the ningen's bow clattered to the ground nosily. Sesshoumaru lifted the man off the ground and towards his face, smelling the fear as it fell in waves off of the human's dirtied skin. Sesshoumaru was rather impressed by the archer's skill - it took years of practice to shoot in the dark and this human seemed to have mastered such a ability - and maybe Sesshoumaru would have commented in any other situation, but now… now Sesshoumaru was just irritated.

"Where is Shoichi?" Sesshoumaru asked as his foot came down to crush the fallen bow in half.

The human warrior clawed at Sesshoumaru's hand and arm, struggling for the breaths that would not come. Sesshoumaru gave one last powerful, warning squeeze and released the human to grovel and gasp for air on the ground below. Sesshoumaru repeated his question again, flexing his claws for effect. "Where is _Shoichi?_"

The man's fear-stricken eyes did not raise to meet the taiyoukai's. Instead, he stayed deathly silent, his body shaking on the forest floor. Sesshoumaru turned away from the human, thoroughly irritated, when Jaken and Ah-Un came bursting from the trees. "My lord!" hollered Jaken as he dropped to his knees in front of his master. His big, yellow eyes flicked over to the human and he said, "Is this the insolent fool who dared to bring down the great Lord-"

"Shut up, Jaken," Sesshoumaru said coolly, raising his nose to wind, sniffing for the snow leopard. Instantly, he caught the scent, but it was heavily masked by the smell of the other human warriors. Sesshoumaru whirled around on his heels gracefully to reach down and snap up the trembling human by the collar of his haori. He jerked the arrows out of the wooden tube on the man's back and snapped them all in half with a flex of his hand before throwing the pitiful warrior back to the ground. Sesshoumaru stepped over the human to follow the cat's scent into the forest.

* * *

Rin pushed her way to her feet as the thing began to charge at her. It ran clean into the stone bench, crushing the object immediately beneath its massive body. She burst through the back part of the willow tree, catching herself in a thorny, blooming rosebush in the process. She stumbled at first, but regained her footing quickly as she took off at a run through the gardens. Her bare feet slipped and slid over the smooth, wet gravel, occasionally splashing in one of the puddles that were rapidly filling up throughout the area. She heard noisy _cracks_ and _crunches_ as the thing followed in her footsteps through the rosebush and out onto the gravel trail.

To her left, the shiro whistled and crackled under the heat of the flames that engulfed it and instantly Rin's heart was seized in sadness even as she continued to run. The home that she had spent the better part of the last decade in was burning. The little trinkets she had collected over the years and the elaborate pieces of clothing she had been given were now undoubtedly engulfed in flames, forever to be lost in a pile of ash. Even as her eyes pricked with tears, Rin's head was screaming to her, _Keep running! Don't stop! Those things aren't worth your life!_

The next moment was like a sick, twisted, overly-clichéd story; Rin's foot caught in a slightly upturned root in the trail as she ran and she fell, every sound becoming clearer in her head; the pounding of footsteps behind her, the cracking of the fire, the beating of the rain against the ground, and the rapid hammering of her own heart.

She hit the ground and her breath came out in a sudden huff. Her hands caught on the gravel and the small rocks imbedded themselves into the soft flesh of her palms, pricking little spots of blood here and there. Like a fish out of water, Rin flopped helplessly onto her back to watch with horrified eyes as the massive figure, silhouetted against the burning shiro, charged her way.

* * *

Lord Shoichi of the Southern Lands had a lean figure, but was at least a head shorter than his adversary Sesshoumaru. His icy gray eyes were calculating and quick and his pointed ears twitched at even the slightest of sounds. He had short, slicked-back silver hair that contained just a finger-width streak of black in it near his left temple. His pale face held sharp, handsome angles, thin lips, and a pointed nose. When he spoke, his fangs would flash in the sharp sunlight and his thick, silver tail would flick back and forth behind him. He was draped in the royal colors of the Southern Lands - violet and gold - but no armor graced his angular body. Currently, he stood on the hillside away from his ningen army, his hands folded delicately behind his rigid back and his firm jaw set tight as those icy eyes scanned the trees around him.

Despite them being shrouded in the blackness of the night, he knew it was ignorant to stand in the middle of this small valley, his army out in the open for anyone and everyone to see, his own body unprotected and vulnerable. His men were on edge, he could sense their uneasiness in the air. After all, he had only just sent out one of the archers to wait for the taiyoukai he knew was following them, only for the warrior to not return. Shoichi ignored the men's skeptical glances and hushed whispers as his cold gaze continued to scan the forest around them.

A sudden warm gust of wind wafted Shoichi's way, bringing along with it the scent of lingering rain and something… different, something… mangy. He lifted his pointed nose into the air again instantly recognized the scent to belong to that of a dog. He wrinkled his nose in disgust and, with the most dignified voice he could muster up, he turned to the woods behind him and said, "Lord Sesshoumaru, please, grace us with your presence." A smile played at his mouth, causing his fangs to tickle at his thin lips.

From the dense forest, Sesshoumaru stepped out of the dark shadows in which he had been concealed. Behind him, the dragon Ah-Un and the little imp Jaken marched out dutifully after their master. Instantly, the men of the army braced to attack, but Shoichi held up his hand at them casually, ceasing their actions.

"This Sesshoumaru is surprised at how good your petty cat senses are," the taiyoukai quipped, coming to a stop just outside the forest's boundaries.

"And I am still unimpressed by how miserable you dogs are at sneaking around," Shoichi shot back, his gray eyes narrowing even as another smile spread across his face.

"You are trespassing on Western grounds, Shoichi," Sesshoumaru stated evenly, gauging Shoichi for a reaction.

But there was none. The snow leopard simply remained in the same spot, that devious little smile playing on his lips. "Lord Sesshoumaru," he began, bravely taking a few steps nearer to the inu youkai. "How about we strike up a deal? You give me half of the Western Lands closest to the Southern borders and I will stop sending my army to destroy your villages."

Sesshoumaru actually had to laugh at that one. He let out a low chuckle and his lips faintly showed the trace of a smile. "You think a few measly human villages are worth half of this Sesshoumaru's land?" the taiyoukai chuckled, relaxing in his posture. Jaken shifted nervously at Sesshoumaru's side, not at all used to seeing this side of his master. "You think any _human_ life at all is worth _these_ Western Lands?" Sesshoumaru added.

If at all possible, the smile on Shoichi's narrow face grew and his eyes tapered in excitement. "No," he stated simply, "but I think you do."

Sesshoumaru grew quiet at these words and his spirited mood faded in an instant. At his silence, Shoichi continued, "I have heard stories about the Great Lord of the Western Lands… tamed by a human child," he explained, pacing almost excitedly in front of the taiyoukai. "They say you traveled years with her in tow after bringing her back to life with your father's sword." Shoichi glanced around Sesshoumaru's coterie with an exaggerated lift of the eyebrow and several seconds of dumbfound blinking. "Tell me, Sesshoumaru, where is your human now?"

* * *

The glow of the fire from the shiro caught on the figure's face and Rin instantly recognized it to be a demon of some sort. It was massive; the height of Sesshoumaru but the width of two Ah-Un's. It had dark, wild eyes, and massive hands that were surrounded… in flame?

In a split second decision, Rin's hands shot out around her, desperately seeking something to fill them with. Her right hand closed around a rock and in a hurried, uncoordinated motion she chucked it at the demon. Her whole body filled with adrenaline as she watched the rock crash into the demon's shadowed face and she instantly put that new feeling to use, scrambling to her feet and rushing away.

Unfazed, but slightly put behind, the demon sped after her. To Rin's horror, he caught up with her quickly, and reached out to snatch at her arm with his flame-engulfed hands. With a scream, Rin tried to rip herself away even as the demon's vise grew tighter around her small forearm. To her surprise, the fire that surrounded his grasp did not burn her, but the rain that fell against his hand instantly sizzled and evaporated - it was almost as if the demon wasn't _trying _to hurt her.

But this did not comfort the girl in any way. Rin jerked again, trying to free herself from the beast, only to hear a sickening _snap_. Nausea washed over her immediately as she let out a soft cry, feeling all control in her arm fade away. Blackness shrouded the edges of her vision as she began to sway. Seeing his obvious upper hand, the demon snatched at Rin's shoulder, dropping her newly broken arm. With a malicious flash in his black eyes, he raised his fist to bring in down over the girl's head.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's hand fluttered to the Toukijin. _Bringing up Rin_, he thought, _was Shoichi's third and... final mistake._

The snow leopard caught the murderous look in Sesshoumaru's eyes at once and he held up his hands, palms outward, as if in surrender. "It must be true then," he laughed, and then added, "Calm yourself, Lord Sesshoumaru, I have done nothing to the girl," he confirmed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I have no desire to hurt a defenseless human child."

But Sesshoumaru's hand did not waiver from the hilt of the Toukijin.

"My master Sesshoumaru, let me do away with these worthless beings with a single blast from my Nintoujou! They are not worth your time or energy!" Jaken exclaimed bravely, stepping in front of Sesshoumaru, waving his staff around wildly. From behind, Ah-Un pounded his feet on the ground impatiently, as if itching for a fight as well.

"Fine," Sesshoumaru said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Jaken let out a low snicker as he raised his staff towards the army of twenty or so men. Sesshoumaru backed away from the scene as the men began raising swords and bows - he knew they would be dead before their arrows could leave the string or their swords could be raised defiantly into the air.

The fire erupted through the valley, lighting it up in a sick, deadly way, and screams soon began to fill the air. Sesshoumaru saw a flash of violet and gold rush through the night sky and instantly shot to the skies himself, hot on Shoichi's trail. They bounded through the trees for only a moment before Sesshoumaru rocketed himself through the branches, grabbing Shoichi by the back of his elaborate kimono. He dove towards the ground, using Shoichi as landing gear. The snow leopard hissed and growled as Sesshoumaru flipped him over, slamming him onto his back. The inu youkai lifted his right hand into the air as a green aura began to surround it and his golden eyes narrowed murderously. Sesshoumaru brought his sharp claws dangerously close to Shoichi's face so he was sure the snow leopard would be able to smell the deadly poison that dripped from them.

"You are still young and foolish so this Sesshoumaru will have mercy on you this one time," the inu youkai snapped, his voice in a low, violent whisper. "If you even step foot on the Western Lands again, if there is even a _rumor _of a coming attack, this Sesshoumaru will come and find you and will make _sure _that you suffer."

"Are you truly so protective of this human that you would go to such lengths to guard her?" Shoichi asked daringly, despite the fact that Sesshoumaru's claws were inching ever so precariously towards his neck.

"This is about _my_ land and protecting that which is rightfully _mine_," Sesshoumaru shot back, wondering why he didn't just close his hand around the youkai's pale face and watch him squirm. He gave the snow leopard a low, fierce growl and whipped his hand backwards. Sesshoumaru leapt off Shoichi with grace, giving the snow leopard one last burning gaze before he turned to head back to Jaken, Ah-Un, and the smell of burning flesh.


	4. Chapter 4

Here's my question for you: What do YOU want to see happen in this fanfic? I have a general outline of how I want it to go, but I want your ideas so I can make this fanfic something you want to read even more! I know that's always my biggest thing when I'm reading; I think to myself "It would've been awesome if they did [insert idea here]." Seriously, leave me a review and tell me what you want to see in it and your idea might just make it! ;D

* * *

Chapter 4:

There was a sigh, then a voice rang out through the quiet, "Was there a reason you had to burn down the whole damned shiro?" it asked and the answer it received was a quiet, frustrated grunt from another, deeper voice. The first voice blew out a discouraged breath of air.

Rin's eyes slowly opened, at first only seeing blurs and the softened outlines of where she was. Pain engulfed her entire body, but was most prominent in her head and her left arm. Her dark eyes slowly took in her surroundings; she was in a small room with no windows. A small candle was lit in one of the indistinguishable corners, flooding the whole room with a flickering orange light. One wall held a rice-screen door and just beyond it were the shadows of two figures; one lean and short, the other massive and looming. Rin tried to sit up, only to find herself so dizzy that she could barely lift her head. She whimpered softly.

The voices just outside seemed to hear her and the first voice echoed out again, this time demanding, "Akina!" it hollered, and was immediately followed by the sound of soft, racing footsteps. When another, smaller figure appeared behind the rice-screen door, the voice spoke again, "Tend to the girl's injuries," it said and Rin watched as the new figure dipped into a deep bow. It disappeared for a moment, then returned and in it's hands was a small bag.

The smaller figure turned out to be a young girl. She slid opened the screen door quietly, her body blocking the two other figures that still stood in the hallway. She gave Rin a small smile as she shut the door behind her. The girl moved to Rin silently, setting down the objects in her hand and as she folded her legs beneath her. She reached out to comfortingly stroke Rin's hair.

"Don't touch me," Rin snapped, instantly drawing away from the girl, only to receive a sharp twinge of agony in her arm. Rin groaned quietly, closing her tired eyes for just a moment.

"I won't hurt you," the girl said, her voice almost a song, and Rin's eyes snapped open again. "My name's Akina," she added, giving Rin a soft smile.

Akina was younger than Rin - one could tell by the slight swell to her cheeks and the rosy sheen they held. Her light chestnut hair stood in unruly waves around her pretty heart-shaped face and her honey-colored eyes held a warmth in them. "What hurts?" she asked kindly, her honey eyes searching Rin.

"M-my arm," Rin replied quietly, "an-and my head,"

"Let me help you up," Akina offered and moved towards the other girl. Slowly, Akina put her arms around Rin's uninjured arm and the two worked together to get Rin into a seated position against the wall. With a reassuring look, Akina took hold of Rin's left kimono sleeve and began to roll it up over the arm, careful not to touch the tender skin. "This will hurt," Akina said softly as she began to prod gently at Rin's arm with her small, white fingers.

Rin winced and hissed through her teeth, turning her head away from the pain. After only a few moments, Akina's fingers left the arm, but the aching still remained. "It's broken," she said matter-of-factly, as if Rin didn't already know. "It seems like a clean break so all I have to do is snap it back into-"

"What?" Rin retorted, trying to back further into the wall to get away from Akina as the girl uttered this sudden threat of pain. "You can't do- You don't even know what you're doing!"

Akina smiled warmly again, but Rin was not soothed. "I was a healer back in my village," she explained, turning away to rummage through the burlap bag she had brought in with her. "Well, healer-in-training. But I promise I know how to help you!" she added after seeing the even more terrified look wash over Rin's face. "Please, let me help. You can't walk around with a broken arm."

Akina handed Rin a thick piece of fabric, getting a skeptical look in return. "Put it in your mouth," she said quietly, turning away to look back in her back. "It will muffle the scream."

Rin's eyes widened in shock, but she put the cloth in her mouth obediently, closing her eyes to await whatever terrible pain would come. "Now sit on your other hand," Akina stated and Rin did so. "Try not to move. If you do, you could hurt yourself even more…"

Rin felt Akina's warm hands touch her limp arm. "On the count of three…"

"Don't count!" Rin exclaimed, her eyes still shut tightly, "Just do-"

The next moment, a horrible, sickening pain jolted through Rin's body as Akina snapped the broken bone back into place without warning. Rin bit down on the cloth, suddenly thankful it was there so she didn't chomp through her own lip, and let out a muffled scream.

* * *

The rain had slowed their trip home. After the chattering of Jaken's teeth became too much to handle, Sesshoumaru had instructed Ah-Un to land under a thicket of trees to make camp for the remainder of the night. Just before sunrise, the rain slowly ceased and the three took to the skies again.

"I'm sure that Shoichi won't be trespassing on Western grounds anymore!" Jaken exclaimed, grinning uncontrollably at the thought of the previous night.

As always, Sesshoumaru ignored the imp's boasting, his eyes roaming the pink-tinted sky as Ah-Un glided just over the treetops. It was strangely quiet this morning; the usual chirping of the early birds and rustling from the small animals in the underbrush was absent. Just as Sesshoumaru began to ponder over this unusual occurrence, his eyes suddenly caught sight of the source of the silence. Just over the horizon, a thick column of black smoke rose up from the foliage. While the sight could not be seen by either of the other two demons that accompanied him, Sesshoumaru's vision was sharp and he instantly knew the origin of the smoke.

Sesshoumaru's youki rapidly built around him as he dove from Ah-Un's back. He rushed off towards the smoke in a flash of white even as Jaken called after him in a worried yell.

* * *

The shiro - _his_ shiro - was nothing more than a few planks of smoldering wood. The basic structure of the house was up, but the walls and doors were incinerated, and nearly each and every piece of furniture, tapestry, clothing, and anything else with meaning was charred and unrecognizable. Sesshoumaru approached what was once the front doors slowly, the crisp, black folds of his hakama gathering gray ash as he went. The smell of smoke filled his nose and irritated his golden eyes as he looked around the desolate scene. The few servants who had survived this obvious attack on his property were walking around aimlessly and dumbfounded. Suddenly, one image flooded Sesshoumaru's mind and he snatched at one of the servants who was lingering near him, yanking the young demon to his angered face.

"Where is Rin?" he asked menacingly, pausing between each word for effect.

The little demon squirmed in his grip, stammering as he spoke, "W-we don't kn-know," he stated, cringing when Sesshoumaru gave him a hard shake. "N-n-no one can find her."

"What do you mean no one can't find her?" Sesshoumaru questioned, his voice dark.

Suddenly, another servant dropped in front of Sesshoumaru, throwing her hands out in front of her in a bowing motion. "My lord!" she said, her voice cracking in fear. "She is not amongst the rubble and there is talk that she was taken."

Sesshoumaru dropped the servant in his hands and turned fully to the female demon at his feet, looming over her threateningly. His silence pushed her to speak again.

"The d-demon that burnt down the shiro… he went into the gardens where R-Rin had been all day," she said quickly, still not raising her eyes to meet his. "I heard a scream…" her voice faded as her whole body began to tremble.

Sesshoumaru clenched his teeth, infuriated and yet still amazed at these lowly demons' stupidity. When he spoke, his voice was dark and droning and slow, "And none of you thought to go and help her…?"

The female demon did not answer, but instead made a small whimpering sound, like that of a small animal cornered by a predator. Sesshoumaru felt himself begin to shake. Suddenly, his skin felt too small for his body and his claws flexed angrily at his sides. His golden eyes burned crimson as more tremors raked through his lean frame. His mind was set on two things: he would rip each one of these insolent, worthless servants apart and then he would sniff out whatever menace destroyed his home and kidnapped his ward and do the same to it as well.

* * *

Akina had set a thick plank of wood against Rin's newly mended arm ("To help it regrow properly," she had said) and had wrapped it with a white cloth, fastening the whole thing together with a tight knot. She had then went on to smear a thick substance onto the lump that had formed on the side of Rin's head after being knocked out by the fire demon and it gave the painful swell a soothing sensation. Afterwards, Akina had left without so much as asking Rin for her name.

Alone in the small, dimly lit room, Rin scooted into a corner and pulled her legs up to her aching body, wrapping her uninjured arm around them. Her mind raced, her body trembled. Just what was she doing here? Why, of all people, did they want _her_? There was nothing spectacular about her, nothing noteworthy or special in any way. Maybe they had made a mistake. _Yes,_ Rin thought hopefully, _they've made a mistake and they will release me!_

Abruptly, the screen door slid open and Rin snapped out of her own thoughts quickly to stare at the figure who entered. He was not much taller than her with a short crop of silver hair and a big, bushy tail. She recognized him instantly to be one of the figures that was at the door. He was dressed in an elaborate, golden kimono with purple trim and when he smiled, the only thing Rin could focus on were his sharp, gleaming fangs.

"Hello, child," the demon said, his voice silky and warming. He slid closed the door, but did not approach Rin further. "I see why he's so fond of you; you're quiet a gorgeous little creature."

When she did not speak, the demon continued, taking a few steps towards her. "My name is Shoichi," he said simply, lowering his hand down to her for a shake.

Rin stayed still, causing Shoichi's eyes to narrow even as his smile grew wider. In one fluid motion, he hand Rin up and pinned against the wall, his face only inches from hers, his claws pinching through the fabric of her kimono sleeves to graze dangerously on her arms. Rin let out a small moan as the pain rushed through her body.

"I see Sesshoumaru has yet to teach you any respect," Shoichi snapped, giving the girl a mild shake.

"Keep his name out of your mouth!" Rin spat in a sudden moment of protectiveness for her lord. All of a sudden, she knew why she was there. She knew what this Shoichi wanted of her. She was being used as bait.

Shoichi was not pleased by the girl's outburst and he let out a low growl, causing Rin to turn her face away. He flexed the fingers that were wrapped around her arms, causing his claws to prick uncomfortably at her delicate skin. "A disrespectful little brat you are," Shoichi remarked and released the girl, causing her to drop painfully back to the floor. "You must really have that dog trained or he would have killed you years ago for your impudence," he added with a dismissive wave of his hand. His gray eyes searched the frightened girl for a moment before he swooped swiftly into a crouch in front of her. His tail flicked eagerly behind him as he reached down to snatch at Rin's unbroken right arm. "What do we have here?" he asked, motioning to the object that was tied around her wrist.

It was a silly, sentimental object to have; Rin had told herself that plenty of times. Tied around her wrist was the orange and white checked kimono she had worn as a child. When she had outgrown the article of clothing, she had cut off several strands of it and had braided them into a small bracelet that fit perfectly over her small wrist. The kimono was the first thing Sesshoumaru had given her and Rin would have felt awful if she had thrown away one of the few things that meant so much to her. Rin sucked in a sharp breath as she watched Shoichi examine the object carefully, turning her wrist in his hand to study it. She knew he must have felt the quicken of her pulse under his thumb.

"I can find some use for this," he said with a smile and grabbed hold of the bracelet, jerking it from her wrist.

"No!" Rin cried, making a move to grab at the object. Shoichi merely jumped to his feet and was across the room in a blink of an eye. He brought the bracelet to his nose and inhaled deeply.

"It smells just like you: sweet… and frightened." Shoichi pocketed the bracelet with another wicked smile and Rin watched helplessly as he left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

I have writer's block. -.- But, to make amends for not posting in like a week, here is what I have so far of Ch. 5. Leave reviews to tell me what you would like to see in the story!

* * *

Chapter 5:

Sesshoumaru's transformation ceased abruptly at the all-too-familiar sound of squawking. With a quick shake of his head, the crimson of his eyes faded and his body ceased its tremors. Turning in a deliberately slow half-circle, Sesshoumaru was able to see Ah-Un's incoming form silhouetted against the rising sun, the little imp Jaken jumping up and down on his back worriedly.

The dragon touched down only a few moments later and Jaken hoped off his back, moving to bow in front of his lord. When he rose, his bulging yellow eyes searched the destroyed, smoldering castle and he opened his mouth to speak. However, before he could utter a single word, Sesshoumaru lifted his foot and gave the toad a swift kick, sending him flying into a tree a few yards away. _That felt damn good_, the taiyoukai thought, even as his outward appearance stayed flat.

He was actually quite thankful to the little imp for snapping him out of his sudden rage. To go tearing after a demon just to save his ward would… well, it would confirm Shoichi's suspicions. Had the Lord of the Western Lands really be tamed by a little girl? Had… had he gone _soft_?

_No_, Sesshoumaru scoffed. His actions and feelings were justified; he had lost something that was rightfully his and that demon had burned down the only place he had ever called home. And Sesshoumaru had a nagging hunch at who was behind all of this.

Though the smoke hung thickly in the air, Sesshoumaru could still pick up the scent of something very feminine lingering around. He followed it to a small hydrangea bush where, at the very base, sat a half-eaten, ant-infested apple. He knelt beside the bush and the smell that surrounded the fruit was unmistakably Rin's. Upon rising, Sesshoumaru caught another scent, still familiar, but sickening to his nose. The smell of fear was faintly intertwined with the odor of charred wood and Sesshoumaru followed it into the confines of the willow tree.

One of the stone benches was smashed to rubble, bit and pieces of it lying everywhere, and the smell of fear was prominent there. One of the bench's legs sat in the koi pond and the little fish swam around it indifferently. Sesshoumaru followed the path of destruction through a tattered rosebush and out onto the garden's trail where it was obvious a chase had occurred. Sesshoumaru stopped only a few yards in where the chase had come to an end. If Rin was what the demon wanted, he had her now.

* * *

Rin's stomach let out a low rumble. It was only one of many that had occurred in the last hour or so. She sat in the same corner of the same room, watching as a large figure just outside the door paced back and forth down the hallway. It's footsteps were heavy and slow and Rin had a feeling this creature was the same one she had met in the gardens only just a little while ago.

She found herself drifting in and out of sleep despite the fact that she tried to fight the fatigue. Sesshoumaru's face kept finding it's way to her mind and she wondered where he was now and what he was doing. _Was he even looking for her? _Would the great Lord Sesshoumaru lower himself to search for and rescue a human?

The sound of the door sliding open had Rin's eyes snapping open. For a moment, she thought she saw Shoichi at the door, his long, bushy tail flicking behind him, but upon closer inspection, Rin saw that the figure that had just entered was much more feminine, though very closely related in looks to Shoichi. The female demon smiled at Rin, her smile much warmer and welcoming than that of her male counterpart.

"My name is Leiko," she said softly, her voice soothing. "What's yours?"

It was then that Rin noticed that no one else she had come into contact in the last few hours with had asked for her name before this woman. For some strange reason, the notion was comforting and Rin couldn't help but be lulled into a false security by this demon. "Rin," the young girl replied shortly as Leiko came to take a seat just in front of her.

"I see Kanaye was rough on you," the demon said, making a 'tsk tsk' noise with her tongue and shaking her head. She delicately ran her clawed fingers over Rin's newly mended arm in a soothing motion as her gray eyes searched the girl's face. "I'm sure you're hungry, Rin. How about we go get something to eat?" she asked.

Rin nodded her head dumbly, still entranced by this woman, and allowed Leiko to help her to her feet. The two walked slowly to the door, Leiko very careful not to push Rin's injured body further than it needed to go. The dark hall was empty when they stepped out, meaning that Leiko had obviously dismissed whatever was guarding the door earlier.

"Do you know where you are, Rin?" Leiko asked, receiving a shake of a head as her answer. "You're in the grand shiro of the Southern Lands, my dear," she replied, flashing Rin another wholehearted smile. "I know you're very confused as to why you're here, and while I can't tell you the exact reasons, know that you will not be harmed any further. I promise you that. I'll take good care of you, Rin."


	6. Chapter 6

I dedicate this chapter AzaMoura on deviantART. :D Forgive any spelling/grammar errors. I typed this in a rush.

And I'm still open for suggestions as to what you want to happen in this fic! ~

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Chapter 6:

It had been three days since Sesshoumaru had come home to find his home destroyed and his ward missing, two days since the workers had begun work on the new shiro, and hours since he had made his way to the beach below the shiro cliff to stare out upon the gentle waves and think.

The tide was low, causing a vast amount of beach front to appear at the base of the cliff. It was times like this that Rin loved most; it was not uncommon to see her barefooted and digging through the sand to find little hidden sea treasures like shells and dried up starfish. She had started a collection of these simple little finds when she was younger and the hobby had not died as she grew.

But now her treasures were gone; burned to mere cinders just as everything else in the shiro had. As he stood on the beach, his shoed feet ever-so-slightly sinking into the sand, Sesshoumaru's mind was flooded with images of the girl as she danced along the water's edge, laughing and shooting him over-joyous smiles. He tried to imagine her reaction when she found that everything that had ever meant something to her was gone…

It would have been easy to track her scent. Despite the fact that the demon who carted her away had a disgustingly strong ember smell, his inu nose would have tracked them both to where ever the demon was running to. However, there was always that voice nagging him. _You're turning into your father. Going soft over a mere human! Throwing yourself into battle over a little ningen! Pah!_

That was when another voice argued back. _That demon destroyed EVERYTHING. It ran off with something that belonged to YOU. Man up and show whoever was behind this what the consequences are for such insolence!_

It was a never-ending battle in his head and Sesshoumaru was torn between the two choices. Was it really such a bad thing to chase after the girl who had been with him all those years? Would rescuing her really mean he had gone… _soft? _

Sesshoumaru had looked down on humans ever since he could remember and yet there was something so different about Rin. Her gentle nature, her pretty face, her fierce devotion - all of these things seemed so opposite to that of any other human and yet she still was one. After all these years, had he actually grown attached to this girl so much that he would go racing off after her at the mere mention of her being in danger? He had in fact done such things before…

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" barked a voice and the taiyoukai turned his head slowly to gaze up the cliff. Jaken stood on the edge, waving his stubby arms wildly in order to get his master's attention. With a scowl, Sesshoumaru vanished in a flash of white and was at the imp's side in mere milliseconds, sending the toad falling backwards onto his small rump. "Oh, my lord!" Jaken leapt to his feet, bowing repeatedly. "This came for you via messenger, my gracious lord," the toad continued, still hunched over as he handed a small piece of white cloth to the inu youkai.

Sesshoumaru eyed the poorly wrapped parcel and took it in his large, slender hands, unfolding in quickly. Inside was a small loop of orange and white fabric.

"Jaken, where is the messenger?" Sesshoumaru snapped quickly.

The old toad stammered for an answer, "Why, I sent him away, my lord! His job was done-"

The next moment the imp let out a terrified squeal as Sesshoumaru gave him a swift kick to the face, sending the toad flying off the cliff's edge towards the water. Satisfied, Sesshoumaru leapt into the air to pursue whoever had left him the little parcel filled with Rin's scent.

* * *

Lady Leiko had seen to it that Rin was moved to better quarters that boasted a soft, feather-stuffed bed and a window. While the new arrangement was more comfortable, it did not put Rin's racing mind at easy. Shoichi had not shown his face since the incident over three days ago, Akina barely spoke two words to Rin when she saw her, and where the heck was Sesshoumaru-sama anyways?

Despite these things, Lady Leiko had always shown Rin a cheerful kindness and had promised the girl that as soon as her husband had received what he wanted (whatever that was) that Rin would be free to go. Leiko had made sure that the human girl had received decent meals and proper medical attention from Akina. However, there was something about the demoness that caused Rin's skin to crawl… something about her smile was dangerous, like the calm before the storm.

Sitting with her knees pressed to her chest, Rin sat silently on the bed, her eyes closed to block out the large, silhouetted demon that lurked just beyond the rice-screen door in the hallway. She tried to block out all her swirling thoughts and fears, focusing solely on the sound of the pine tree outside her window as it scratched softly on the shiro when the wind blew. The simple sound brought a wave of memories flooding back to her; she had experienced a much similar event at the Western Shiro. However, when she was younger it was much more frightening. A large maple tree was positioned directly outside of her window and during dark, windy nights the moonlight would cast frightening shadows against the wall and the branches would scratch angrily against the wood, like a demon clawing to get inside. It would frighten the young Rin, bringing her images of those hungry, salivating wolves as they nipped and scratched at her heels.

On nights like these, she would find herself running down the hall to the only place she felt safe. She would nestle herself just outside of Sesshoumaru's room, curling up into a thin blanket and closing her eyes. Just being around him and knowing he was _near_ made her feel at ease at once. Because she _knew_ that he wouldn't let anything harm her.

It was years later that Sesshoumaru had finally figured out what was causing Rin's sudden midnight sprints to his room. He ordered the maple tree be torn down the next day. While Rin was thankful for his sudden kindness, she was slightly saddened by the fact that she would now have no excuse to flee to his room in the middle of the night. And secretly, she wondered if he felt the same.

The sound of the door sliding open had Rin's eyes snapping open and the hairs on her neck standing on end. Akina stepped into the room and flashed Rin a gentle smile, but didn't approached the bed any farther. "Dinner is ready, Rin," she said in a sing-songy voice. "Lady Leiko requests your presence immediately."

* * *

The messenger was a simple-looking ningen boy. Sesshoumaru spotted him quickly as he sprinted back down the trail from which he had come. As the youki around his body suddenly faded, the taiyoukai grabbed the boy by the collar of his kimono and tossed the human to the ground roughly. The boy choked out a grunt and scrambled to his feet quickly, using a small tree for support. His narrow eyes looked up at Sesshoumaru in terror, awaiting the worse. As if reading Sesshoumaru's mind, the boy began to speak in a rapid stutter, "I-I was sent from the S-Southern Lands!" he squeaked. "B-By a servant girl! She said to take the parcel to the b-burned shiro on the hill and to not stop till I got there!"

_What pitiful things humans are,_ Sesshoumaru thought idly, almost surprised by the boy's rushed confession. _And Shoichi trusts these things to do his dirty work for him?_

Sesshoumaru flexed his claws, wondering if the boy was worth the energy to kill. It certainly would make him feel better… Seeing the murderous gaze flash through the demon's eyes, the boy dropped to the ground, clapping his hands together in a pleading motion. "I do not know what it is you are angry about, great demon, but understand that I know nothing about it!" he exclaimed, then added in a rush, "I can deliver a message back to the Southern Lands if you'd like!"

Sesshoumaru contemplated the boy's suggestion for a moment before replying, "Relay this message: This Sesshoumaru does _not_ take well to threats. And what has happened to _my _shiro and _my_ ward is most certainly considered a threat."

Leiko was donned in a pure white kimono, as if trying to send off the aura of innocence and peacefulness. She sat at the end of a long table in a relatively empty room and when Akina led Rin into the dining hall, the snow leopard rose with a smile. "Ah, Rin, I'm happy you came. We need to talk."

Those last four words sent chills down Rin's spine. Akina directed the older girl to a seat near Leiko, bowed to her mistress, and headed for a door on the opposite side of the room. When she returned, she carried a plate of steaming food and sat it in front of Rin.

"Akina, make sure no one disturbs us," Leiko said and Akina acknowledged her with a nod before leaving the room quietly.

Rin did not speak nor move for several moments. Leiko touched her arm gently, rubbing her fragile human skin in soft circles. "Don't be scared, Rin," she said with a coo. "I just need you to clear up a few things."

Rin did not reply and instead waited for the demoness to continue.

"Rin, what is your relationship with Lord Sesshoumaru?"

At the mere mention of his name, Rin's head shot up and a fire ignited in her dark eyes. Sesshoumaru words from days before rang in her ears: "_Troubles with other lands_," and suddenly it seemed like everything was falling into place.

"Is that what this is all about?" she asked quickly. "Are you trying to lure Lord Sesshoumaru here using me as the bait?"

Abruptly, Rin pushed herself up onto her feet, staring defiantly down at the demoness. Leiko stayed where she was, undisturbed by Rin's angry outburst.

"He will come for me. He always protects me. And when he comes - and when he comes -" She was so angry the words wouldn't verbalize. Her uninjured fist was clenched, her whole body was trembling. Never in her whole life had she ever felt so protective over someone else. Just the mention of his name in the mouth of someone unworthy made her blood curdle and her vision go red. And how ironic it was that such a powerless human would defend something as great as the Lord of the Western Lands.

She stood there, fuming and shaking, gazing down at the older demoness with such an obvious hatred. Leiko merely let out a small sigh and stood. "Rin," she began gently, folding her hands regally behind her back. "If Sesshoumaru is so protective of you, why hasn't he come for you already?" she asked and didn't wait to see the shock spark in the young girl's eyes before she continued. "Your faithfulness to him is admirable and foolish all at the same time. He had lured you into some kind of false security, Rin." She paused to take in Rin's upset expression before she began again, "A demon as powerful as Sesshoumaru would have had no trouble getting here the minute he found out you were gone… and yet here you still are. Rin, this is what I wanted to talk to you about. If Sesshoumaru doesn't come soon, we'll have to get our point across to him in a different manner."

Rin stayed deathly still, waiting for the words she already knew were coming.

"I'm afraid if he doesn't come, we'll have to kill you."


End file.
